Sample Data

JUPITER L-BURSTS

Jupiter L-Bursts sound like ocean waves breaking up on a beach. Much of the L-burst structure is formed as signals travel though the interplanetary medium from Jupiter to the Earth.

Chart of Jupiter L-Bursts << Click on the speaker to play the audio sample.

JUPITER S-BURSTS

Jupiter S-Bursts sound like a handful to pebbles thrown on a tin roof (or popcorn being cooked). These bursts each last for a few thousandths of a second and occur at rates as high as several dozen per second.

Chart of Jupiter S-Bursts << S-Bursts << S-Bursts slowed down

SOLAR BURSTS

Solar Bursts received near the frequency 20 MHz often turn on rapidly and decay slowly -- looking somewhat like a shark fin on the strip chart record. These bursts can be quite strong and often last for tens of seconds. You will hear the weak galactic background noise for several seconds, followed by a Solar radio noise burst.

Chart of a Solar Burst << Click on the speaker to play the audio sample.

THE GALACTIC BACKGROUND

Galactic Background signals are generated by relativistic electrons spiraling in the galactic magnetic field. The sound is a quiet hiss devoid of any interesting features like bursts or sudden changes in amplitude. Radio Astronomy was born when Karl Jansky discovered that the background noise peaked in the direction of the center of our galaxy.

Chart of the Galactic Background << Click on the speaker to play the audio sample.